Magneto



NOV- 17, 1936- E. B. NowoslELsKl 2,061,245

MAGNETO Filed Sept. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAGNETO Egg:

N0V 17, 1936. E. B. NowosiELSKl Filed sept. 19, 1934 m QPLwl Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE MAGNETO Application September 19, 1934, Serial No. 744,719

2 Claims.

stallations the space and weight requirementsy are such as to make it impossible to provide the necessary room for such appendage; and even where the space is available, the resulting overhang produces an objectionable cantilever effect and the added weight is also an objection.

The present invention provides a means ofavoidng this difficulty in that it may be embodied in a unit which is of such small overall dimensions that it may be secured directly to the engine starter housing without any substantial increase in the overall dimensions of said starter housing, either in a longitudinal or transverse direction. Specifically, the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated is particularly well suited for attachment to an inertia starter `of the character disclosed in the Lansing Patent No. 1,784,190,

wherein it may be secured to the portion of the housing enclosing the inertia element. When used in this connection, the invention may be embodied in a compact, self-contained structure having a diameteror width comparable to the outside diameter of the motor casing of the Lansing starter above referred to, and an axial length decidedly less than that of the aforesaid motor casing 64, with a resulting saving in space occupied, and the degree of unsupported overhang.

In this same use the. invention has the further advantage that it makes it possible to employ a concentric gear reduction of negligible overall dimensions as the driving connection between the inertia element of the starter and the rotor of the magneto, and eliminates the necessity of employing right angle drives of the character heretofore employed in order to accommodate the types of booster magnetos which are characterized by an axial length several times that of the axial length of the magneto herein disclosed, and therefore unsuitable for mounting in axial alignment with the inertia element 'if the starter.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon an examina- (Cl. 12S-179) tion of the following specification when read with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are merely illustrative and are not designed to indicate the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 and`4 are longitudinal sectional views of amagneto embodying the present invention, as it appears when applied to an inertia starter of a character basically similar to that of the aforesaid Lansing Patent No. 1 784,190, a portion of the starter only being shown in longitudinal section and the remainder in outline;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation withcover removed, parts broken away and others sectioned, of the magneto portion shown in Fig. 1, the view being taken at right angles to the viewpoint in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in elevation, with parts sectioned, of the electro-magnetic elements of the magneto, and showing the path of magnetic flux.

Referring first to Fig. l, the invention is shown applied to an inertia starter having a housing constituted by a flanged inner portion 4 adapted to be secured, through the instrumentality of bolts 5, to a suitable mounting flange (not shown) on the crankcase of an internal combustion engine. A portion 6 of the engine crankshaft, or crankshaft extension, is indicated as terminating in a toothed face I adapted to be engaged by a correspondingly toothed clutch element 8 driven through a gear train including a gear I i and a pinion I2, the latter being drivably connected with the ywheel I3 constituting the inertia element of the starter. Flywheel I3 is energia-able to a high speed through a second gear train, of which the elements II and I2 also form a part, the second gear train being actuable through rotation of a manually operable shaft I6 journalled in a housing I'I secured by means 20 to the central housing section I8, the latter being in turn secured by means I9 to the anged section A above described. As shown the central housing I8 is flanged as indicated at 22 for registry with the corresponding flange 23 on a magneto housing which, as shown, includes a central section 24, an end cap 26, and a connecting section 21 enclosing and supporting the driving connections between the inertia] element I3 and the rotor 29 of the magneto.

In order to make it possible to mount. the rotor 29 in axial alignment with the inertia element extending arm 82 of the insulated terminal post I3 and at the same time effect a decided reduction in axial length of the rotor without any corresponding reduction in the efliciency of the magnetic circuit through which the starting or booster ignition current is developed, the rotor 29 is of a novel construction involving a plurality of bar magnets 3|, 32 and 33, each preferably (though not necessarily) of rect-angular cross-section and all arranged in juxtaposition with the axes thereof disposed in a common plane normal to their common axis lof rotationx As shown, the ends ofthe bar magnets are embedded in arcuate segmental shoes 36 and 31 Athrough which pass boltsor rivets 38 serving to hold end plates 39 and 4| of the rotor in position so that the former,may act to transmit the drive from the inertia element I3, and the latter may connect with a stub shaft 44 rotatably mounted in a ball bearing cage 46 which is in turn supported by the transversely disposed wall 41 formed on the central casing section 24, and retained therein from lateral movement by an inset sleeve 48.

'I'he induction coil 5| has the usual primary and secondary windings 52 and' 53 respectively, and is preferably mounted with the axis of its core 54 disposed in the plane of the axes of the inductor elements 3|, 32 and 33, and parallel to said axes when the rotor 29 is 90 degrees displaced from the position indicated in Fig. 3. As shown, the core 54 is of laminated soft iron, with its ends 51 and 58 secured by suitable means to cooperating lamin which extend downwardly and are curved, as indicated at 6I and 62 respectively, to correspond to the curvature of the arcuate pole pieces 36 and 31 above described, and thus coact therewith in causing an alternating magnetic flux to traverse the magnetic circuit passing therethrough, as the oppositely magnetized pole pieces 36 and 31 traverse the core ends 6| and 62 in their rotation about their common axis. Pins 60 extend through core extensions 6| and 62, and are received at their ends in ears on the supporting wall 41.

'I'he tapered end 1I of the shaft 44 has mounted thereon, in a suitable manner, as indicated at 12, a cam 13 having a plurality of lobes adapted to actuate a member 16 of insulating material constituting a cam follower, and as shown is amxed to the end of a flexible metallic arm 18 suitably anchored, as indicated at 19, to a disc 49 adjustably secured (for angular movement relative to the cani lobes as indicated at 50) to the transverse wall 41 of the casing section 24 and having intermediate its lends acontact post 8| normally in abutment with a corresponding contact post 83 mounted on the end of the 84, to which the primary circuit lead 86 may be secured. The portion of the housing diametrically opposite that in which the induction coil is mounted may be utilized to house the condenser 9| which is preferably included in a cir- I cuit connected in shunt with the'contacts 8| and 82 just referred to. As shown, the condenser is mounted on a plate 94 secured by suitable means 96 to a boss 91 of the inner surface of the casing section 24. The end cap 26, secured to the casing section 24 by the screw 99, isy readily remdable to permit inspection and servicing of the terrupter mechanism just described.

Diametrically opposite the boss 91, the casing section 24 is apertured to receive a fitting I 03 enclosing an insulator member |04 which is centrally apertured to receive a cable I 06 having the `winding 53 of the in usual flexible connetion |01 with the secondary uction coil.

In the event that the speed of the inertia element is such as to make it advisable to employ a gear reduction between the said inertia element and the rotor 29, such a gear reduction will preferably take the form of a planetary gear set involving a xed annular, internally toothed element |09 secured in position between-the opposing faces on the surfaces of the transverse wall |I2 of the casing section 21 and an annular supporting plate |I3 acting to clamp the gear |09 to the wall I|2 and is in turn secured to said wall by the fastening means ||I. 'I'he plate III is anged, as indicated at II6, to retain in place lthe outer race of the ball bearing assembly III, in which function it is assisted by the retainer ring I|9 secured as indicated at |2| to the plate ||3, the inner race of the ball bearing assembly being held against the shoulder |24 of the flywheel driven stub shaft |21 by the provision of a retainer collar |29 secured in a circumferentially cut groove on the said stub shaft |21.

Farther along the shaft |21 there is a reduction in diameter as indicated at |33, and at' this point the shaft is toothed to form the sun gear of the planetary gear train, the said sun gear being adapted to mesh and drive a plurality of idler pinions or planets |36 which are thus caused to roll about the gear |09 as a circular track, and thus transmit rotation, at reduced speed to a sleeve |39 journalled in a sleeve bearing located in a boss |42 formed centrally of the transverse wall |I2.

A pin |43 passesv through the extended hub |44 integral with, or secured to, the end plate 39 ofthe magneto rotor the ends of said transversely disposed pin being adapted to pass through diametrically opposed apertures in the lateral surface of the sleeve |39 to drivably connect the gear train with the rotor 29.

Driving connection between the flywheel -I3 interrupter from a source of energy to which said parts may be secured in such a manner as to conserve space. and weight and avoid the decided overhang which is characteristic of prior devices applied to the same service.

It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in structures differing in function and method of operation from that disclosed in Fig. 1, and it is to be further understood that changes may be made inthe inter-relation and number of-parts emplo "d and in theadvriving means therefor. A train shown as connecting the driving member I3 with the rotor 29 may be replaced by other connections, or eliminated entirely where a oneto-one drive is preferred. Likewise, other changes may be made within the scope of the broadest of the appended claims.

One such other change may be to drive the magneto from the second gear train I2, I|, in which case the magneto housing will take @the position occupied by 'the sub-housing I1, and 75 the magneto driving shaft |5|.

the manual means I6 for accelerating the flywheel may be replaced by a motor to be placed in any suitable relation thereto, such as that shown at |'in Fig. 4, and corresponding to motor 64 in Fig. 3 of the Lansing Patent 1,784,190, above referred to.

The construction of the magneto as shown in Fig. 4-is identical with that of Fig. l but in view of the fact that the flywheel actuated shaft I5| rotates at relativelyY low speed due to the speed reducing effect of the gear train, the driving connections between said shaft |5| and the magneto rotor include a train of gears |52, |53, |54, the effect of which is to step up the speed so as to produce rotation of the magneto rotor at a speed comparable to that obtained by the arrangement in Fig. 1. As shown, the gear |54 meshes with teeth |56 formed on a stub shaft |51, one end of which is drivably connected to the magneto hub |44 by means of the coupling pin |43, the said hub and pin corresponding to the similarly designated part in Fig. 1.

The driving connection between the flywheel driven shaft I5| and the magneto rotor also preferably include a 'clutch element |6| normally held out of engagement with a correspondingly constructed set of clutch teeth |62 by means of a compression spring |63 interposed between the clutch element |6| and the gear |52 on which the clutch teeth |62 are cut. 1t Will be understood, however, that these driving connections as well as the clutch engaging means |66 and |61 form no part of the present invention and the same is true of the driving connections between the flywheel I3 and the motor |50, and also the driving connections from the flywheel I3 to both the engine engaging member 8 and It may be helpful, however, to point out that the driving connections last referred to are preferably similar to those shown and described in detail in the Nardone Patent No. 1,951,487, granted March 20th, 1934, wherein suitable connections for this purpose are indicated by the reference characters 56, 4|, 39, 22, I6 and I5, the part last named corresponding in structure and function to the function to the parts |2 and respectively, shown in Fig. 1 of the present disclosure. All

Iother parts shown in detail in Fig. 4 are designated by reference characters corresponding to' those shown in Fig. 1 as applied to the corresponding elements therein.

This application is a continuation in part of my application No. 644,861, filed November 29, 1932.

What is claimed is:

1. In a magneto of the type adapted to constitute part of an internal combustion engine starter mechanism, a box-like rotor frame. including circular end plates and segmental connecting shoes having pockets aligned in parallelism with said end plates, a plurality of bar magnets received in said pockets, enclosure means forming part of the starter housing, and two distinct supporting shafts journaled in said enclosure means, each shaft having its inner end secured to one of said end plates, said inner ends being separated by the intervening bar magnets above recited. l

2. In a magneto of the type adapted to constitute part of an internal combustion engine starter mechanism, a box-like rotor frame including circular end plates and segmental connecting shoes having pockets aligned in parallelism with said end plates, a plurality'of bar magnets received in said pockets, enclosure means forming part of the starter housing, and two distinct supporting shafts journaled in said enclosure means, each shaft having its inner end secured to one of said end plates, said inner ends being separated by the intervening bar magnets above recited, one of said supporting shafts being driven by the starter, and the other constituting the ignition circuit interrupting actuating means.

EDWARD B. NOWOSIELSKI. 

